csr arabia network arabia csr · csr arabia network newsletter february 2013 issue 18 gri...

Arabia CSR Network newsletter

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February 2013Issue 18

GRI Sustainability Reporting Training - Pg 5

A Strategy & Leadership Course for CSR - Pg 5

DUBAL project registered under CDM to reduce greenhouse gases - Pg 7

Best practices from the archive: Bee’ah - Pg 10

Editorial Team: Habiba Al Marashi, Youshey Zakiuddin, Jefferson Balisi

Arabia CSR Network conducts training on CSR Fundamentals for Small and Medium Enterprises (page4)

Launch of the Arabia CSR Awards10th February 2013

2pageArabia CSR Network | Newsletter

Issue 18 – February 2013

With January breezing by, I have a good feeling that this year will be one with a lot of positive buzz and activity, especially in terms of corporate sustainability in the Middle East and North Africa. But we need to act fast and intelligently. And the best way to get work done effectively and efficiently is to have everyone playing their roles.

This is one of the reasons why we started the year with a CSR fundamentals course for SME’s. With their significant coverage and contribution to the economy (on average, SMEs employ between 10 and 50 workers, so their impact on employment across the GCC is above 8.5 million jobs) it is imperative that we include SMEs in the global sustainability agenda. So if you are an SME and are not sure how CSR can add value to your business, please get in touch with us and we will be glad to help you.

In the coming months, we have a number of other trainings which can help build your sustainability portfolio. I urge you all to participate in these sessions to learn more about CSR and sustainability – it is a growing field and it’s necessary to stay up to date.

In February, we have the launch of our most popular initiative – the Arabia CSR Awards. This year, which marks the sixth cycle of the program, will run under the theme of “Driving sustainability through corporate citizenship” and will seek to encourage more organizations to become responsible economic players for the MENA region. If you are keen on being part of this exciting Awards program, please join us at the press launch on 10th Feb in Dubai (more details in the newsletter) We also urge corporate organizations and government departments to support our awards program and other activities. We are a home-grown organization that aims to raise the bar for CSR in the region, and we are certain our impact will be manifold if we are supported by others.

As always, we look forward to your suggestions and feedback to improve our programs and activities. Please feel free to contact us via email, phone, or to meet us at our office. Please stay in touch with us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to learn about our various activities and events.

Note by the CEO / President Arabia CSR Network

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Training & Workshops

Training on CSR Fundamentals for Small & Medium Enterprises – January 30, 2013

The Arabia CSR Network conducted a workshop on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fundamentals for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in the Arab region. The workshop was held at the Millennium Plaza Hotel in Dubai.

This one-day course was organized for SME managers and owners to understand how they can drive business value by investing in CSR and Sustainability. The objective of the training was also to prove that CSR and responsible business practices should not be seen as an exclusive privilege of large and multi-national organizations, but a necessary investment for organizations of all sizes and from all sectors.

“It is a general perception that CSR and corporate sustainability are exclusive to large organizations and multi-national companies. However, if one assesses the coverage and impact of SMEs, it is

obvious that the contribution made by small and medium sized companies serves as the backbone for the GDP of almost all countries across the world. It is therefore, imperative to include SMEs in the sustainability debate.” said Habiba Al Marashi, President of Arabia CSR Network and the UN Global Compact GCC Network.

The training had more than a dozen participants from various organizations and sectors ranging from Oil & gas, Logistics, Education, Health, Asset Management, Food & beverages, Recruiting and more.

The workshop focused on topics such as ‘What is CSR?’, ‘The benefits of a CSR-centric approach’, A step-by-step approach to CSR’ and ‘Communicating CSR progress’. The workshop made use of regional and international case studies and group exercises that further elaborated key corporate sustainability topics. It also shed light on the UN Global Compact Principles for responsible businesses and invited representatives from a couple of local SMEs to talk about their experiences in implementing CSR. These included speakers from Dubai Customs, Blossom Nursery, First Select International and Tristar Transport. Each of the speakers presented how CSR has helped create shared value for their business as well as for society.



Arabia CSR Awards

The CSR Fundamentals workshop is one of the many capacity-building programs that the Network has planned for 2013. ACSRN conducts trainings covering a wide spectrum of CSR and corporate sustainability topics, such as Sustainability reporting using the GRI framework, Social Return on Investment, CSR Strategy & Leadership, Effective CSR Budgeting and Implementation and more. To ensure credibility of sustainability reports, ACSRN also offers external sustainability assurance services to companies in the MENA region.

“The Arabia CSR Network is very well placed to provide CSR trainings to build the capacity of organizations and businesses in the region, mainly because it is a regionally rooted organization that has acquired an in-depth understanding of the benefits and challenges faced by organizations in their efforts to meet their Corporate Social Responsibility within the region’s unique limitations and possibilities,” Mrs. Al Marashi added.

Launch of Arabia CSR Awards 2013

The Arabia CSR Network will be organizing a press conference on the occasion of launching the 6th Cycle of the Arabia CSR Awards on Sunday 10th February 2013 (10 am) in Dubai. This year’s Awards cycle will be conducted under the theme “Driving sustainability through corporate citizenship”.

Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group; & Chairman, Dubai Airports and supported by the United Nations Global Compact, the Arabia CSR Award is the most prestigious and highly coveted CSR Award in the Arab world.

In the past five cycles of the Awards, the ACSRN has received close to 400 applications from 13 countries in the Arab world. This is indicative of the length and breadth of the Arabia CSR Awards in the Region.

The Arabia CSR Awards is a home-grown product of the MENA region; and this press conference offers an occasion to celebrate the achievements of public and private companies in enhancing their sustainability performance to become stronger corporate citizens and to have a larger and more positive impact on society.

Past winners of the Arabia CSR Awards have also been invited to attend the Press Conference to share their experiences on how the Award process has helped them develop and boost their CSR performance and create business value. We look forward to your presence and we want you to join us in this wonderful sustainability journey in the Arab region.

To attend the launch of the Arabia CSR Awards 2013, please write to [email protected].



Meetings

GRI Sustainability Reporting Training – February 26-28, 2013 - Dubai, UAE

To enhance the capacity of organizations in the Middle East towards more effective and transparent communication of their sustainability performance, the Arabia CSR Network is conducting a GRI sustainability reporting training from 23rd to 25th December in Dubai, UAE.

Sustainability Reporting is gradually becoming a big ‘should have’ for corporate organizations and also government and non-governmental entities. The biggest benefit of publishing a sustainability report is that it allows organizations to go through the process of understanding their sustainability impacts, measuring and reporting it, and eventually managing it better. The most common framework that organizations are using to develop their sustainability reports is the one developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

This training is extremely useful for organizations involved in Environmental Health and Safety, Environmental Compliance, Construction, Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Hospitality, Transportation, Finance & Accounting, Human Resources, Insurance, Real Estate, Retail Sector, Consultancy Services; Service Sector organizations; Government departments; Non Government Organizations and others that have an impact on the environment and society.

Kindly confirm your participation at the earliest. For more details please visit http://www.arabiacsrnetwork.com/home/gri or contact us at [email protected] / +971-4-3448622.

A Strategy & Leadership Course for CSR – March 4-5, 2013 - Dubai, UAE

Do you wonder why sustainability is so crucial? Or have you asked yourself how your organization can achieve sustainability? To address these common yet fundamental questions the Arabia CSR Network is introducing a CSR Strategy & Leadership Course, with a focus on the Middle-East context. This training will coach you to incorporate CSR into the company strategy in an innovative way. It will also discuss the creation of the future by accomplishing the seemingly impossible: driving profit and growth while being in synch with a greater contribution to social development.

This two-day training - with its mix of CSR theory, case studies and group exercises – will be conducted by Dr. Grace Ugut, Associate Dean of the Executive Education and Life Long Learning, Asian Institute of Management. The course will be aimed towards building capacity of CSR managers and officers, as well as planning and development officers, chief financial officers and board members who work closely with corporate sustainability issues.

Kindly confirm your participation at the earliest. For more details please contact us at [email protected] / +971-4-3448622.



ABB UAEABB UAE participates in Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

ABB, a leading power and automation technology group, recently participated in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week which focuses on the interdependence between energy consumption and water resources. The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week commenced with the 3rd session of the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) General Assembly, on the 13th & 14th of January 2013,

The International Renewable Energy Agency General Assembly is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to renewable energy. IRENA’s objective is to promote the widespread and increased adoption and the sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy.

Source: http://www.mena.abb.com and http://www.abudhabisustainabilityweek.com

Ajman Free Zone AuthorityCoordinative meeting between Ajman Free Zone Authority and Gardens Section in Ajman Municipality

A mutual meeting was recently held between the Ajman Free Zone Authority and the Ajman Municipality and Planning with the objective to coordinate and exchange experiences and information in respect to organizing social initiatives for the year 2013.

During the meeting the officers in AFZA had reviewed the plans of Agriculture and Gardens Department, and the social initiatives for the current year. Meanwhile they searched the means of boosting cooperation in the field of organizing initiatives and events in the public parks and gardens, and also discussed other issues related to the implementation of public benefit in the Emirate, and reflect the permanent coordination and mutual cooperation between all authorities in Ajman, and to develop the services and utilities with international standards and high quality.

Source: http://www.afza.gov.ae

Dubai Electricity and Water AuthoritySupreme Council of Energy showcases DEWA’s sustainable building at WFES 2013

The Supreme Council of Energy participated in the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2013, which was held in Abu Dhabi from 15 - 17 January. Through its participation, the Supreme Council showcased the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority’s Sustainable Building, the first green building for the public sector in the world, which also uses solar power.

“We are delighted to showcase our experiences in the field of green buildings through DEWA’s sustainable building to senior experts and decision makers from the oil, gas and energy sectors. We were at WFES to exchange views and discuss critical issues related to the energy sector across the globe,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Supreme Council of Energy.

DEWA’s sustainable building is based on a modern Buildings Management System, which manages air conditioning, cooling, and ventilation units, to save electricity consumption. The building adopts conservation criteria for electricity and water, and uses solar energy to supply electricity.

DEWA and ESIA inaugurate solar system in Jebel Ali Power Plant

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Emirates Solar Industry Association (ESIA) have completed the first solar power facility to be built inside an existing power plant in the Middle East.

The 10kW rooftop system has been installed in DEWA’s main power generation complex in Jebel Ali. The estimated energy at the inverter output is 18,000 kWh. The clean electricity produced by this solar system will help offset 9.5 tons of harmful CO2 emissions annually.

This initiative is part of a research collaboration between DEWA and ESIA to measure the performance of roof-top solar systems in Dubai in different weather conditions and based on different cleaning techniques.

DEWA honors 25 technical employees

In line with its efforts to honor its employees for their dedicated service, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) honored 25 technical employees in the Special Act category, and six employees within Customer Service category.

“Through this honoring, we aim at encouraging our staff to strive for excellence. These awards recognize distinguished and creative employees who have contributed to our success. DEWA’s

Members Update



The agreement aims to promote academic excellence and intellectual creativity among students by informing them of the best banking practices and equipping them with practical training.

Source: http://www.zawya.com

McDonald’s UAEMcDonald’s UAE organizes Best of the Best’ employee awards ceremony

McDonald’s UAE organized a 2 day ceremony to reward its most skilled and devoted employees for their efforts and achievements throughout 2012. Highlighting McDonald’s UAE’s recognition of hard-work and talent, the Best of Best awards ceremony brought all McDonald’s staff closer together and promoted employee engagement, along with family spirit. Over one hundred awards were distributed in different categories. Rafic Fakih, Managing Director and Partner of McDonald’s UAE, comments: “This ceremony is an opportunity for us to appreciate the hard work and continuous efforts of our employees. Year after year, their contribution has been essential to the development of McDonald’s in the Emirates. It is also a chance for all of McDonald’s UAE’s staff to get together and celebrate their accomplishments.”

Source: http://www.equities.com

Serco Middle East Serco Middle East and Make A Wish Foundation join hands to grant wishes for terminally ill children

In line with Serco Middle East’s CSR objectives for 2012, Make a Wish Foundation Dubai has been selected as Serco Middle East’s (SME) charity of choice and has been the recipient of many proceeds from the diverse initiatives carried out, both SME led and at various contract level. This year, CSR culminated in the Serco Make a Wish Raffle Draw initiative which was actively supported by the wider business. SME raised an incredible Dhs68,530 which was a combination of proceeds generated from bake sales, raffle tickets sold, monthly payroll contribution as part of SME’s Reach Out which was matched by SME East as well as family fun days. Make a Wish Foundation is a Dubai based charity that supports terminally ill children by granting their most cherished wishes. From the magic and power of having their most cherished wish granted, these children are given hope, strength and much joy which helps them get through the tough times.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com

management is committed to encouraging distinguished employees and appreciating their role in achieving sustainable development for generations to come in Dubai,” HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA. Al Tayer honored the Water Desalination Plant Performance Improvement Team from Generation Division. The team implemented an initiative that increased production by 38% equivalent to 75,800 liter/min (6.6 million Imperial gallons per day - MIGD), and reduced maintenance cost. The initiative saves Dhs21m each year.

Source: http://www.dewa.gov.ae and http://www.ameinfo.com

Dubai AluminiumDUBAL project registered under CDM to reduce greenhouse gases

Acknowledging that the production of primary aluminium has an inherently large environmental footprint, Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) has registered a GHG conservation project under the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

The carbon-credit project involves DUBAL’s Casthouse operations, which has four melting furnaces fitted with conventional cold air burners, which are used to melt cold/hot metal at specified rates. Cold air burners work on the principle of an air-to-gas ratio where air and gas are fed through on a proportionate basis.

These conventional cold burners will now be replaced with more energy-efficient regenerative burners during the second quarter of this year - an exercise that will reduce gas consumption, thereby lowering DUBAL’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The project follows a pilot initiative whereby a regenerative burner was installed in one of the melting furnaces during 2008/2009. Records show that the furnace’s gas consumption levels declined by 39 per cent.

Source: http://www.dubal.ae

Emirates NBDEmirates NBD and The American University in Dubai Sign Agreement

Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the region recently signed an internship affiliation agreement with The American University in Dubai (AUD). The agreement comes as part of Emirates NBD’s Corporate Social Responsibility Program and as an effort by AUD to improve its collaboration with regional employers and to assist in Emirates NBD’s recruitment needs.



Imdaad UAE LLCImdaad organises staff appreciation ceremony in support of Sheikh Mohammed’s ‘Thank You’ initiative

Imdaad, a leading provider of integrated facilities management solutions in the GCC, recently conducted an appreciation ceremony for its general labour staff, in line with the ‘Thank You’ campaign launched by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Imdaad CEO Jamal Abdulla Lootah personally addressed and thanked all the staff for their hard work and dedication, while reaffirming Imdaad’s long-term commitment to promote the welfare of its employees.

Imdaad has gained a strong reputation in the region as an adopter and implementer of the latest FM technologies and practices. The company acquires eco-friendly equipment and prioritizes sustainability across all its operations. It also conducts recycling training for its clients, corporate partners and staff, in addition to providing free recycling bins in certain projects where it handles waste management and collection service.

Source: http://www.imdaad.ae

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)GRI’s Global Conference on Sustainability and Reporting: register now

There are just four months to go until the Global Conference on Sustainability and Reporting kicks-off at the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam. The theme of this year’s Conference is “Information – Integration – Innovation”. Attendees will hear from leaders from the business sector including finance, accountancy, government bodies, civil society, labor and academia about the latest sustainability challenges, and how we can all best work together to ensure a sustainable global economy.

“The GRI Conference is the must-attend sustainability event of 2013,” says Marjolein Baghuis, Director Marketing & Communications at GRI. “The entire global economy needs to move towards a more sustainable future, and to ensure this shift, collaboration is needed. The Conference will provide the perfect platform for organizations and individuals to come together to share values and best practices.

General News

This collaboration will go a long way towards finding solutions to our sustainability challenges and accelerating a much needed change.”

1200 delegates from 77 countries attended the last Conference in 2010. This year, over 1500 delegates are expected to attend, making it the largest multi-stakeholder event to date to focus on the role organizational transparency plays in achieving a sustainable global economy.

“GRI’s previous Conference in 2010 was very popular and tickets were sold out,” says Baghuis. “We encourage all those wishing to attend this year’s Conference to register soon, to make use of the early-bird discount, which closes on 31 January.”

An exciting program is planned, with a host of interesting guest speakers including the likes of Achim Steiner (UNEP), Peter Bakker (WBCSD), Jochen Zeitz (PUMA) and Barbara Kux (Siemens). The Conference takes place on 22-24 May 2013 at the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam.

Application Levels: All you need to know

The GRI Application Level Check has been quite a contested issue of late, coming under particular scrutiny after the recent realization that companies are making false claims in their sustainability reports. Here, we outline the GRI Application Level Check Methodology, explaining what it is and what it is not, and provide an in-depth overview of the process.

The GRI Application Levels were introduced in 2006, with the launch of the G3 Guidelines. They show the extent to which GRI’s Framework has been applied in a sustainability report, and they communicate which disclosure items from the Guidelines or Sector Supplements have been addressed. A key point to note is that a report’s Application Level is self-declared by the reporting organization. Organizations can choose to sign up for the GRI Application Level Check to confirm their understanding of the Application Level system.

There are three types of GRI disclosure items – Profile Disclosures, Disclosure on Management Approach (DMA), and Indicators. There are also three Application Levels: A, B and C. When a ‘+’ is added to the Application Level - for example, Application Level A+ - it shows that a report has been externally assured.

In the G4 Exposure Draft, a proposal was made for the Application Levels to be discontinued. Views on this proposal were received, along with a lot of other feedback, and it is still very much under discussion by the GRI governance bodies. All proposals are now being reviewed by GRI’s Technical Advisory Committee, ahead of the launch of G4 in May.

For more information on the Application Level Check, view this page: https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/report-services/application-levels



Taking responsibility a discussion about report quality

Over the last couple of months, there has been a lot of discussion around “false claims in sustainability reports”. The level of engagement on this topic has proved that the uptake of sustainability reporting is really taking root. One of the earliest pieces of commentary on this matter was a blog post by Elaine Cohen. In her post, Cohen writes about research conducted by the Vienna University of Economics and Business Institute for Human Resources that sheds light on the differences between claims made by organizations in their sustainability reports and what actually gets reported.

The results of the research, Cohen notes, were “quite astounding.” For the Labor Indicators, 86% of companies claimed they reported and only 11% actually did. For the Human Rights Indicators, 62% of companies claimed they reported and only 20% actually did. GRI is not in a position to police or control the quality of reports based on its Guidelines – this is outside of the remits of what GRI does. However, GRI encourages stakeholders to challenge reporting organizations on their sustainability goals and what they report.

So why are companies making false claims in their sustainability reports and how can this be prevented? At the end of the day, it is reporting organizations’ responsibility to choose the right report content and ensure the quality of their reports. What this discussion shows is that increased stakeholder involvement in reporting is needed. Civil society and researchers should help to push report quality, but the onus lies with the organizations producing the reports to be honest and transparent. A positive aspect that can be taken from all of this is that the level of engagement that has been witnessed around corporate transparency in the last few months is extremely promising.

Source: www.globalreporting.org

UN Global Compact (UNGC)

Nobel Sustainability Trust and UNGC to team up to advance sustainable and renewable energy

The Nobel Sustainability Trust (NST) and the United Nations Global Compact recently announced their collaboration to accelerate the transition to global sustainability through mutual projects and network facilitation in the areas of alternative and renewable energy, as well as social enterprise.

As part of the new partnership, the Nobel Sustainability Trust will support Caring for Climate, the world’s largest climate action platform for business, in its efforts to develop a global action hub on climate and energy. This online platform will identify targeted action areas in various geographic locations and create concrete opportunities for business and other stakeholders to collectively implement green solutions, scale up climate finance, create jobs and deliver sustainable energy systems on a large scale. Nobel Sustainability Trust, founded in Zürich, is a non government and non-profit organization committed to push forward the development and implementation of renewable and sustainable energy by giving out The Sustainability Award by Nobel Sustainability Trust.

Top executives meet with UN Secretary-General to mark successes, future of sustainability leadership platform

Leading executives recently met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Davos to mark the close of the pilot phase of Global Compact LEAD and a new beginning for the sustainability leadership platform. The meeting provided a historic opportunity to help place corporate sustainability and private sector-led solutions at the center of a new global development architecture as targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expire in 2015.

Business leaders and high-level UN representatives engaged in interactive discussions on the post-2015 development agenda and the important role that CEOs of LEAD companies can play in positioning corporate sustainability as a transformative force. Themes covered by potential replacement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as agreed to by Member States during last year’s Rio+20 Conference, would influence global priorities for years to come. Top candidates for priority issues voiced during the meeting clustered around climate change, water, energy, food and employment. Launched by the Secretary-General in Davos in January 2011, Global Compact LEAD has enabled the most committed and engaged Global Compact participants to shape the future of corporate sustainability.

Source: http://www.unglobalcompact.org

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) UNCTAD to lead post-2015 e-discussion on development-led globalization

The United Nations is organizing a series of consultations on various themes to support governments to agree on a post-2015 development agenda for when the Millennium Development Goals expire. Growth and employment is one of these thematic areas. Consultations on growth and employment are being coordinated by an advisory group consisting of staff from the United Nations Development Programme, the International Labour Organization, UNCTAD, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and UN Women, as well as representatives of other international and civil society organizations.

The thematic e-discussion on development-led globalization will be led by UNCTAD from 25 January to 22 February 2013. The e-discussion has been launched on the World We Want 2015 website, as part of the Global Consultation on Growth and Employment for the post-2015 development agenda.

The e-discussion aims at advancing thinking in four areas:

• Growth,diversificationandstructuraltransformation• Jobsandlivelihoods• Development-ledglobalization• Environmentalsustainabilityandgrowth

Source: www.unctad.org



Best practices from the archive

An overview of Bee’ah

Bee’ah is one of the region’s leading waste management companies. Based in Sharjah, this public-private partnership has led the campaign to achieve zero waste to landfill in the Emirate of Sharjah and its neighbors through a wide range of educational programs combined with waste collection and recycling services.

Bearing in mind the Bee’ah’s mandate to work with the entire city, its residents and its huge economy, it is imperative that they conduct themselves in an efficient and ethical manner. As such, Bee’ah has been very thorough and innovative in its programs and activities to engage its stakeholders. It has also launched an extremely successful school-based environmental educational program which was one of the key reasons for receiving the Arabia CSR ‘Special Project’ Award in 2011.

A joint venture that was started in the year 2007 between the Government of Sharjah and a number of private sector investors, Beeah employs more than 2000 employees, which include around 850 office staff and 1200 laborers. Bee’ah has invested substantially in infrastructure to overcome the UAE’s waste management challenges. The organization is also in the process of gearing up towards a 100% landfill diversion target set for the Emirate of Sharjah by the end of the first quarter of 2015. This serves as Bee’ah’s foremost mission and comes as fulfilling its mandate set by the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Sharjah by placing environmental protection as a top priority.

The Arabia CSR Network welcomes new members to be a part of its CSR journey. To learn how you can be a member, and how your organization will benefit from it, call us at +971-4-3448622 or write to us at [email protected]

For more information on the Arabia CSR Network visit www.arabiacsrnetwork.com

This abstract has been taken from the ACSRN publication titled ‘Arabia CSR Best Practices: 2011’. For more details on Bee’ah and other companies that have been recognized for their innovative and effective CSR strategies write to us at [email protected] and book your copy now! Please mention “Arabia CSR Best Practices” in the subject.

The organization aims to achieve its ambitious and noble goal of zero waste to landfill in the Emirate of Sharjah by offering the following services: Residential Recyclable & Waste Collection, E-waste Treatment & Disposal, In-Office Recycling, Commercial Waste & Recyclable Collection, Reverse Vending Machine, Environmental Advisory Services, Municipal Services, Confidential Document Destruction & Recycling, Public Recycling, Waste Surface Collection and Haulage Transfer.

One of Bee’ah’s most prominent environmental education and awareness projects is the “Bee’ah School of Environment”. The Bee’ah School of Environment is a comprehensive, bilingual (English and Arabic) educational program that consists of a range of engaging, fun and interactive environmental activities and lesson plans that are designed to be applicable in the classroom and/or eco-clubs, and to educate students from grade 1 to grade 12 about the environment. At the end of the 2010/2011 academic year, a total of 102 schools in Sharjah participated in the BSOE initiative, educating over 85,000 students on current environmental issues and the importance of recycling.

The local community, i.e. the residents of Sharjah and neighbouring Emirates, are also one of Bee’ah’s essential stakeholders. It is Bee’ah’s mandate to “spread environmental awareness for all categories of society and to prepare learning programs for children and youths in participation to create a clean society.” It is based on this policy that Bee’ah has created and is implementing programs for the involvement of the community through activities, events and online tools through the myBee’ah initiative.

Bee’ah has also received the ISO 9001 certification and is in the process of becoming ISO 14000 certified. Moreover, Bee’ah is a member of the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) and has collaborated with it to spread the message of environmental protection through various events and initiatives in the UAE.

Bee’ah touches and transforms thoughts, attitudes and behaviors in individuals, communities and businesses enabling them to lead positive sustainable growth. What is most commendable is that, in the entire region, there are hardly any private public partnerships such as Bee’ah that have stepped forward and so successfully helped address a crucial regional issue in an effective, commercial and environmentally-friendly way.

Arabia CSR Best Practices: 2011

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